Auberge de la Clamoux ** - Villeneuve-Minervois[aublaclamoux]

Auberge de la Clamoux **

Auberge de Clamoux, a small inn that serves a fine three-course weekday menu at 13€. Go ahead and try the salad with gesiers (duck gizzards, a regional favorite) or sample the offering of charcouterie (hams, sausages, etc).

The main course is generally meat, duck or salmon, and the desserts are impressive.

One lunch time here, the main dining room had been converted to a huge table seating several dozen French men and women in their 70s and 80s, plowing through huge platters of food and liters and liters of wine.

Every meal in France is a celebration. Count on at least an hour and a half....

- 01 march to 30 june - From 12:00 to 14:00 and from 19:00 to 20:30
- Closed day(s): Tuesday - Wednesday
- 01 july to 31 august - From 12:00 to 14:30 and from 19:00 to 21:00
- 01 september to 30 october - From 12:00 to 14:00 and from 19:00 to 20:30
- Closed day(s): Tuesday - Wednesday

The Minervois is one of the most ancient vineyards of the Mediterranean region. Indeed, its land was chosen by the Romans as providing ideal conditions for the first vines they planted in Languedoc Roussillon. Its name comes from the ancient city of Minerve, a stronghold built by the Romans and dedicated to the goddess Minerva. Since that time, many amphora shards and vestiges of cellars have been discovered, testimony to the importance of this vineyard. The region, austere in winter and redolent with sunshine in summer, has survived over the centuries its invasions by barbarians, Arabs and Christians. The essence of Minervois la Livinière, as in so many Midi appellations, is the blend; a marriage of different grape varieties that adds subtle nuance of flavour to the whole. Natural alcohol level must reach a minimum of 12% without enrichment (so no chaptalisation) and maximum yield is a modest 45 hl/ha. Ageing may be in barrel or vat, and unlike basic Minervois, the wine must be bottled at source, so cannot be sent off to a négociant elsewhere in France...

Organic Wine

The cornerstone of organic farming is the soil. Maintaining a healthy, biologically active soil is the main objective for an organic farmer. In the vineyard it means cultivating the soil and planting cover crops, instead of applying herbicides. It means using natural fertilizers, such as composted animal manure, versus chemical fertilizers. Organic growers use no synthetic growth-regulators (such as Alar). As for not using pesticides, the organic alternative is to encourage natural predators of insect pests instead of using poisonous insecticides. Organic farmers promote "biodiversity" and allow plants other than vines to grow in and around the vineyard. Biodiversity helps regulate the vineyard soil by attracting beneficial insects, spiders and predatory mites, as well as provide shelter and food (pollen, nectar and other bugs), and replaces the need for chemical pesticides or insecticides. What cannot be fully controlled through biodiversity can still be managed organically, through the use of naturally occurring plant or mineral extracts, which leave no residues in the soil. In wet climates the main difficulty is raised by the use of copper sulfate against mildew, which leaves over time levels of copper in the soil that need to be monitored....

The Museum of Palaeontology and Prehistory is a private
collection. This is the result of the passion of an amateur who has been
fortunate to benefit from the complicity of his wife and towards the end of his
professional life, could expose a part of his collection. You are new or school:
you will discover the world of fossils and of prehistory. You are a collector:
Ability to identify your fossils using samples of the various collections
representing almost all the stages and groups. Are you a teacher, head of a
cultural, elected: Possibility to organize school activities on various topics,
conferences...

Campsite le Moulin de Sainte Anne

Just a few years ago le Moulin Sainte Anne was a vineyard but, with much hard work by Antoine and Magali Laclive and the backing of the Mairie, there is now a flourishing campsite on the edge of the town. There are 45 level grass pitches of a good size and hedged. All have water and electricity and are terraced where necessary and landscaped with growing trees and shrubs. The facilities are modern, well kept and in keeping with the area. They include a heated pool and a very attractive entertainment area. There is close co-operation with the village and villagers are welcome to the evening entertainment...

Maison de la Truffe Villeneuve-Minervois

In Villeneuve Minervois is born the first and only fraternity Languedoc, dedicated to the truffle, the fungus also known by gourmets "Black Gold". Thus, the Maison de la Truffe was born in this village in the Minervois. Installed on 300 square meters, it has 4 themed rooms that lead the public to the discovery of the truffle.... The truffle markets of Villeneuve Minervois: In December, January and February as markets are held, full harvest period of the nose. It is then that its flavors are more intense and the most delicious truffles...

Caunes-Minervois

Apart from the abbey, the attraction of Caunes lies in its rich historical and architectural heritage. The façades of the buildings are adorned with numerous architectural features dating from the 15th and 18th centuries. Remains of the fortified walls which surrounded Caunes can be seen on a walk through the village. Other more recent monuments which reveal a way of life and traditions now dying out are also worthy of mention, such as the old wash houses, the irrigation channel and the cobbled lanes....

Campsite Municipal des Courtals

This municipal campsite features 32 shaded pitches with electricity, WC, showers, washing up area, children's play area, camper-van waste disposal facilities and football and tennis facilities nearby. Daily bread delivery. Fridge and freezer available at reception during opening hours from 7am to 10am and 5pm to 7pm. The village features a Romanesque abbey...

Gouffre Géant de Cabrespine

The unusually large range of crystals and rock formations of the Gouffre Geante de Cabrespine is carefully protected. Translated the name means giant Chasm of Cabrespine. It was first discovered in the 1970s and is one of the largest caves in the world that is open to the public. The cave is 150 meters long and almost 300 meters high. The cave has been open to the public since 1988 and a small fee will take you on a guided tour. The cave that tourists visit is as deep as the Eiffel tower is tall. The tourists enter the chamber near the top, to fully appreciate the depth and all the beautiful formations this chamber of the cave has to offer....>